POPULATION of Basingstoke has increased by just over 10 per cent in the last 10 years, according to the initial results from the UK’s first digital census.

The population of Basingstoke and Deane was 167,800 in 2011 census, which has grown by 17,400 to a total population of 185,200 in 2021 - an increase of 10.4 per cent.

There has also been a 10.5 per cent rise in households with at least one permanent resident over the last decade.

It was 69,315 in 2011, which increased to 76,600 in 2021 – a rise of 10.5 per cent.

Residents and organisations will be able to find out more information about Basingstoke and Deane’s population following the release of initial results from the UK’s first digital Census.

The 2021 Census took place on Sunday, March 21, last year, with 98 per cent of borough residents completing the important 10-year survey, compared to 97 per cent nationally.

As well as giving residents a glimpse of how the borough has changed during the past decade, the results provide information to all kinds of organisations, from councils and charities to healthcare providers to help them deliver services such as transport, education and healthcare.

The data shows that there are slightly more females than males living within the borough - 50.5 per cent female and 49.5 per cent male. This was the same in 2011.

The borough has become more densely populated, with 292 people per square kilometre in 2021, compared to 265 people per hectare in 2011 - an increase of 10.2 per cent.

The population of Basingstoke and Deane has aged between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, shown by an increase in the percentage of people in the oldest age ranges, alongside a reduction in the percentage of children.

The older age dependency ratio for Basingstoke and Deane has increased between the censuses and there are now 28.9 people aged 65 and over for every 100 people aged 20 to 64 years, compared to 23.6 in 2011.

Alongside this, the child dependency ratio has declined from 40.3 people aged 0 to 19 years per 100 people aged 20 to 64 years in 2011 to 38.4 in 2021, showing the effects of a smaller percentage of the population being in the youngest age groups and a reduced number of children per working adult.

Leader of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Cllr Simon Bound said: “I want to thank every resident who took part in the Census last March as it provides an insightful snapshot of the borough.

“Guided by the priorities in our Council Plan to 2024, the information provided will be crucial in helping us to shape services and make plans that make a real difference to people’s lives for the future and identify the investment needed to provide them, working alongside our partners.”

Deputy National Statistician Pete Benton added: “The census gives us the richest possible picture of society across England and Wales and is hugely important to inform decisions about all of our public services, from education to healthcare, and across the private sector.

“The results from this census will give us a crucial baseline from which to monitor and manage change as we emerge from the pandemic.”

The Census, which is run by the Office for National Statistics, is a once-in-a-decade survey that provides the most accurate estimate of all the people and households in England and Wales. It has been carried out every decade since 1801, with the exception of 1941.

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Following the first population estimates released in June 2022, the ONS will release further results from the census from September 2022. These will include data on ethnicity, religion, the labour market, education and housing. For the first time, it will also include information on armed forces veterans, sexual orientation and gender identity.

For more information about Census 2021 results, visit www.census.gov.uk/census-2021-results

For the Basingstoke and Deane Census data, visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/census

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